Exploring Perceptions of Colorectal Cancer and Fecal Immunochemical Testing Among African Americans in a North Carolina Community

Introduction: African Americans have a lower colorectal cancer screening rate than whites and higher disease incidence and mortality. Despite wide acceptance of colonoscopy for accurate screening, increasing promotion of high-sensitivity stool test screening, such as the fecal immunochemical test (FIT), may narrow racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in screening. This study provides formative research data to develop an intervention to increase colorectal cancer screening among underinsured and uninsured African Americans in central North Carolina. Methods: We held 4 focus groups to explore knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about colorectal cancer screening, particularly FIT. Participants (n = 28) were African American adults recruited from neighborhoods with high levels of poverty and unemployment. Constructs from the diffusion of innovation theory were used to develop the discussion guide. Results: In all groups, participants noted that lack of knowledge about colorectal cancer contributes to low screening use. Attitudes about FIT sorted into 4 categories of "innovation characteristics": relative advantage of FIT compared with no screening and with other screening tests; compatibility with personal beliefs and values; test complexity; and test trialability. A perceived barrier to FIT and other stool tests was risk of incurring costs for diagnostic follow-up. Conclusion: Community-based FIT screening interventions should include provider recommendation, patient education to correctly perform FIT, modified FIT design to address negative attitudes about stool tests, and assurance of affordable follow-up for positive FIT results

Survey of the Function and Usage in University and College Reading Centers in the United States

Curriculum and Instructio

LiDAR-based Sinkhole Detection and Mapping in Knox County, Tennessee

Sinkholes are one of the major causes of damage to roads, buildings, and other infrastructure throughout the US. Sinkholes near or on roads are especially costly and occasionally deadly. Knox County and much of East Tennessee are located within karst areas (comprised of porous and soluble limestone and dolomite), deeming it at risk for sinkholes. Currently, Knox County uses contour maps to manually identify sinkholes. Supported by a geographic information system (GIS), we developed a streamlined model to identify the locations and extents of potential sinkholes using 1.3-ft resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data and applied it to the Dutchtown area of Knox County. This model consists of creating a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), filling the depressions in the DEM, extracting the depressions with a DEM difference, converting the depressions to a polygon shapefile, and analyzing the shape characteristics of the depressions. This work provides a pilot study for Knox County Stormwater Management in identifying potential sinkholes and has the potential to be used in other similar regions

Role of nonmuscle myosin II isoforms in hepatic stellate cell activation

The hepatic stellate cell (HSC) plays a pivotal role in the development of hepatic fibrosis. Regulation of liver microcirculation is a complex system where blood flow is under systemic and sinusoidal control. Upon a fibrogenic stimulus, quiescent HSCs transdifferentiates into activated myofibroblast-like cell and exert a sustained contractile force, resulting in hyperconstricted vessels. Early phenotypic changes observed during the transdifferentiation process include cell stretching and elongation of cytoplasmic processes. These changes facilitate proliferation and migration of HSCs to the areas of injury where excess amounts of collagen are deposited altering normal liver architecture and leading to liver dysfunction. Under chronic liver injury, this wound healing response perpetuates and impairs blood flow through the liver resulting in portal hypertension, which is one of the main clinical manifestations of liver fibrosis. Nonmuscle myosin II (NMM II) has been shown to be involved in cellular contraction, proliferation and migration. Using a whole-cell contraction assay and a selective myosin II inhibitor, we have demonstrated that myosin II is essential for HSC contraction. Additionally, the expression of NMM II isoforms in activated HSCs was upregulated. To further explore the mechanism of regulation, we altered in vitro conditions to more closely depict the in vivo environment using a matrix stiffness assay. Under these conditions, a minimal increase in NMM II-A and II-B mRNA expression was detected, which suggests that mechanical properties of the liver may regulate NMM II isoforms in HSCs. siRNA mediated isoform knockdown had no effect on culture-activated HSC contraction and proliferation but cell migration was inhibited by 25%. Overall, our results demonstrate that myosin II isoforms play a critical role in the development of portal hypertension and HSC migration; however, the specific isoform responsible for this hypercontractile response has yet to be identified. Supported by NIH Grant AA14891